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Raymond Ozoji, Awka
The Anambra State House of Assembly has once again reiterated its stance to blacklist all road construction firms who have collected over 50% of their mobilisations but have not effected up to 30% of it on the road projects they are handling in the state.
The legislature maintained that this time it would no longer temper justice with mercy nor shield the erring road contractors but would not only expose their names to Anambra citizens, but would also publish the road projects they were carrying out across the state.
Chairman House of Assembly Committee on Works, Hon. Timothy Ifedioramma, who disclosed this to NewsProbe at the state assembly complex Awka, explained that the state government had mobilized some of the construction companies but the works committee’s oversights revealed that some of the contractors who had been mobilized, had done little or nothing on the road projects they were handling.
Ifedioramma therefore expressed great concern that the said contractors were embezzling tax payers’ money because the pace of work and the quality of work were not true reflections of the huge sums of money they had been paid by the Anambra state government.
Although he took cognisance of the fact that Anambra roads were still work-in-progress he emphasized that there was a compelling reason for contractors carrying out road constructions in Anambra state to abide by the terms and conditions of the contracts as well as execute projects according to specifications.
The works committee chairman also expressed worry that some of the roads did not stand the test of time due to poor executions as well as shoddy jobs being implemented by some of the contractors, pointing out that the state assembly would not stand aloof and watch construction firms lavish public money meant for public good.
He said, “We will blacklist all the contractors that are involved in shoddy jobs and those that have been mobilized and no sufficient consideration as to the amount that have been released.
“Some get up to 50% and what is on the ground is just less than 20%. That is shortchanging Anambra citizens and messing with Anambra tax payers’ money and we frown seriously on that.
“We will soon release the list and we urge all contractors to be up and doing and make sure they tidy up the loose ends.
” Those that have not done up to the percentage they have been mobilized to do, should endeavor to do that before we come up with our list in less than a month or two from now.”
